The North American Indigenous Peoples' Caucus (NAIPC) is an international Indigenous Peoples' preparatory meeting for the 11th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

This three-day in depth working session is designed by and for tribal nation/First Nations' leadership, community members, elders, youth, and organizations.

The purpose of the NAIPC is to bring together (U.S. and Canada) First Nations and Native American Peoples and Tribal Nations in advance of the UNPFII to discuss critical issues, explore common ground, and establish a collective platform of action for our strategic work at the United Nations.

The discussion will focus on preparing for and addressing the UNPFII Agenda (Session 11) that is taking place May 7-18, 2012 at UN Headquarters in New York, and will include:

Ø The Doctrine of Discovery

Ø Implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Ø Dialogue with the North American Region Representative of UNPFII

Ø International Expert Group Meeting on Combating Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls

Ø 2014 United Nations World Conference on Indigenous Peoples

Ø Environment- RIO+20 Conference-June 2012

Participants are responsible for their own travel, accommodations, and most meals. Lunch will be served each day and a banquet dinner will take place Saturday, March 10th, 2012. Also, participants are responsible to make their own copies of any of their own/organizational materials for distribution at the meeting.

The location of the meeting - Fallsview Casino, Niagara Falls, Ontario is in Southern Ontario, near the Canada-U.S. border, about 60 minutes from the Toronto Airport, 45 minutes by car from Buffalo, New York. A block of rooms are being held at Hilton Hotel and Suites Niagara Falls/Fallsview at $119.00 per night. Reservation line # 1-866-873-9829. Additional accommodation information will be sent out in the near future.

Hosted by: Chiefs in Ontario, with Assembly of First Nations, Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians, Six Nations, and other co-sponsors.

REGISTRATION – Delegates are expected to register on or before February 17th, 2012 to the Chiefs of Ontario Office.

For information contact Dianne Simon at dianne@coo.org or call 877-517-6527.

More Information regarding the Agenda and relevant documentation will be posted on COO website at www.chiefs-of-ontario.org.

POLITICAL OFFICE: ADMINISTRATION OFFICE:
Fort William First Nation 111 Peter Street, Suite 804
R.R. #4 Toronto, Ontario
Suite 101, 90 Anemki Drive M5V 2H1
Fort William First Nation Office Complex (416) 597-1266
Thunder Bay, Ontario P7J 1A5 Fax (416) 597-8365
(807) 626-9339 1-877-517-6527
(807) 626-9404 Fax Website: www.chiefs-of-ontario.org
CHIEFS OF ONTARIO
 Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians  First Nations of Treaty #3  Independent First Nations  Nishnawbe Aski Nation  Union of Ontario Indians 
NOTICE
NORTH AMERICAN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES CAUCUS (NAIPC) PREPARATORY MEETING FOR UNITED NATIONS PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES (UNPFII)
March 9th, 10th, 11th, 2012
The North American Indigenous Peoples' Caucus (NAIPC) is an international Indigenous Peoples' preparatory meeting for the 11th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
This three-day in depth working session is designed by and for tribal nation/First Nations' leadership, community members, elders, youth, and organizations.
The purpose of the NAIPC is to bring together (U.S. and Canada) First Nations and Native American Peoples and Tribal Nations in advance of the UNPFII to discuss critical issues, explore common ground, and establish a collective platform of action for our strategic work at the United Nations.
The discussion will focus on preparing for and addressing the UNPFII Agenda (Session 11) that is taking place May 7-18, 2012 at UN Headquarters in New York, and will include:
 The Doctrine of Discovery
 Implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
 Dialogue with the North American Region Representative of UNPFII
 International Expert Group Meeting on Combating Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls
 2014 United Nations World Conference on Indigenous Peoples
 Environment- RIO+20 Conference-June 2012
Participants are responsible for their own travel, accommodations, and most meals. Lunch will be served each day and a banquet dinner will take place Saturday, March 10th, 2012. Also, participants are responsible to make their own copies of any of their own/organizational materials for distribution at the meeting.
The location of the meeting - Fallsview Casino, Niagara Falls, Ontario is in Southern Ontario, near the Canada-U.S. border, about 60 minutes from the Toronto Airport, 45 minutes by car from Buffalo, New York. A block of rooms are being held at Hilton Hotel and Suites Niagara Falls/Fallsview at $119.00 per night. Reservation line # 1-866-873-9829. Additional accommodation information will be sent out in the near future.
Hosted by: Chiefs in Ontario, with Assembly of First Nations, Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians, Six Nations, and other co-sponsors.
REGISTRATION – Delegates are expected to register on or before February 17th, 2012 to the Chiefs of Ontario Office.
For information contact Dianne Simon at dianne@coo.org or call 877-517-6527.
More Information regarding the Agenda and relevant documentation will be posted on COO website at www.chiefs-of-ontario.org.

Monday, January 16, 2012

We, the signatory Indigenous Nations and Peoples, hereby pledge mutual recognition of our inherent rights and power to govern ourselves and our ancestral homelands and traditional territories. Each signatory nation, having provided evidence that their respective governing body has taken action in accordance with their own custom, law and or tradition to knowingly agree to and adopt the terms of this treaty, hereby establish the political, social, cultural and economic relations contemplated herein.

PRINCIPLES

Recognizing each other as self-governing Indigenous Nations, we subscribe to the following principles:

1. The Creator has made us part of and inseparable from the natural world around us. This truth binds us together and gives rise to a shared commitment to care for, conserve, and protect the land, air, water and animal life within our usual, customary and traditional territories.

2. Our inherent customary rights to self-governance and self-determination have existed since time immemorial, have been bestowed by the Creator and are defined in accordance with our own laws, values, customs and mores.

3. Political, social, cultural and economic relationships between our Indigenous Nations have existed since time immemorial and our right to continue such relationships are inseparable from our inherent Indigenous rights of nationhood. Indigenous Peoples have the right of self-determination and, by virtue of that right, our Peoples freely determine our political status and freely pursue our social, cultural and economic development.

4. No other political jurisdiction, including nation states and their governmental agencies or subdivisions, possess governmental power over any of our Indigenous nations, our people and our usual, customary and traditional territories.

5. Our inherent, aboriginal control and enjoyment of our territories includes our collective rights over the environment consisting of the air, lands, inland waters, oceans, seas, sea ice, flora, fauna and all other surface and sub-surface resources.

6. Our Indigenous rights include all traditional and ecological knowledge derived from our relationship with our lands, air and waters from time immemorial, the exercise of conservation practices, traditional ceremonies, medicinal and healing practices and all other expressions of art and culture.

GOALS

This Treaty is for the purpose of achieving the following goals:

1. To establish supportive bonds among signatory Indigenous Nations in order to secure, recover, and promote, through political, social, cultural and economic unity, the rights of all our peoples, the protection and recovery of our homelands and for the well-being of all our future generations.

2. To establish a foundation for the exercise of contemporary Indigenous nation sovereignty, without regard to existing or future international political boundaries of non-Indigenous nations, for the following purposes:

(a) Protecting our cultural properties, including but not limited to sacred songs, signs and symbols, traditional ecological knowledge and other forms of cultural heritage rights by collectively affirming the principle that our own Indigenous laws and customs regarding our cultural properties are prior and paramount to the assertion of any other laws or jurisdiction including international bodies and agencies,

(b) Protecting our Indigenous lands, air and waters from environmental destruction through exercising our rights of political representation as Indigenous nations before all national and international bodies that have been charged, through international treaties, agreements and conventions, with environmental protection responsibilities,

(c) Engaging in mutually beneficial trade and commerce between Indigenous nations and the economic enterprises owned and operated collectively by Indigenous peoples and by individual citizens of our Indigenous nations, and

(d) Preserving and protecting the human rights of our Indigenous people from such violations as involuntary servitude, human trafficking, or any other forms of oppression.

3. To develop an effective and meaningful process to promote communication and cooperation among the Indigenous Nations on all other common issues, concerns, pursuits, and initiatives.

4. To ensure that scholarly exchanges and joint study on strategies of self-determination are undertaken by Indigenous scholars.

MUTUAL COVENANTS

We, the signatory Indigenous Nations, are committed to providing the following mutual aid and assistance, to the best of our ability and in accordance with our own prior and paramount Indigenous laws, customs and traditions:

2. Collaborating on research on environmental issues that impact Indigenous homelands, including baseline studies and socio-economic assessments that consider the cultural, social and sustainable uses of Indigenous Peoples' territories and resources.

3. Participating in trade and commerce missions to lay a foundation for business relations and the development of an international, integrated Indigenous economy, and

Each signatory Indigenous Nation shall:

1. Appoint a coordinator or responsible official for Treaty matters;

2. Identify and establish an inter-Nation coordination office and communication network to assist in assembling data, information, knowledge and research needed to effectively address substantial issues of common concern:

3. Coordinate statements of policy and information on Treaty matters, especially information to be disseminated to the media;

Following the effective date of this Treaty, any other Indigenous Nation may ratify this Treaty at a meeting of the United League of Indigenous Nations. Ratifying Indigenous Nations may attach explanations or clarifications expressing their respective cultural understandings associated with the provisions of the Treaty through a Statement of Understandings which must be consistent with the spirit and intent of the Treaty.